


leap of faith

by CadetDru



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Almost Kiss, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dating, Episode: e022 Colony (The Magnus Archives), Fear of Rejection, Leap Day, M/M, No Canon-Typical Worms (The Magnus Archives), Season/Series 01, bad ideas are fun, dating your boss would be a bad idea, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27097228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CadetDru/pseuds/CadetDru
Summary: What if Martin had stayed away from Jane Prentiss and enjoyed his Leap Day instead?
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	leap of faith

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, RQ discord!

Martin was supposed to be investigating spiderwebs at Carlos Vittery's flat at Boothby Road.Instead, he was looking up Leap Day trivia. There were already a surprising amount of spiders in the the office.

Jon stopped by his desk at the end of the day."What are you still doing here?"

"I'm looking into Carlos Vittery tomorrow," Martin said.He hadn't been intending to do so until he said it aloud.He was usually a better liar than this.He didn't want to lie to Jon. He wanted to be honest with him.He never got to be himself any more.He had a vague hope that Jon might like his true self a bit better.

"I should think that one's about done," Jon scoffed. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm looking up Leap Day information." Martin couldn't help but smile. 

"You're staying late for that?" Jon said with the usual amount of scorn and amusement. Everything that Martin did just seemed to be simultaneously amusing and disappointing.

Martin had wasted the entire day,"It just...occurred to me. It was hard to find any statements about Leap Day, but it's because of the filing system more than anything. I know that's what we're meant to be working on. That was the whole idea."

"You're three years and change ahead on Leap Day information, then." It was almost a joke without quite being one. Martin didn't think he'd ever heard Jon make an actual joke.

"Good to be prepared on something," Martin said.He cleared his throat."Did you know it was supposed to be a day where respectable women were allowed to propose marriage?"

"Did you meet someone since Valentine's Day, then?" Jon apparently remembered the pathetic shell of a love life that Martin had been complaining about then.

"No, I... well, the last person I was interested in didn't seem interested in pursuing anything with me, but..."

Jon frowned. "Why not?"

Martin shrugged. "Didn't ask. Didn't want to hear anything bad about myself.I can think of it all on my own."

The frown stayed put."You should set your sights on someone more perceptive."

Martin laughed. "Why bother? I mean, would you go in a date with me?" He gestured between them.Jon was too good for him, was what he was trying to convey with his fluttering hands moving in a loop too many times.

"Yes," Jon said.

"What?"

"I would go on a date with you," Jon said. His voice wasn't a smooth and polished as it usually was. "If you... if I... if circumstances were very different."

"You don't need to make me feel better," Martin said."It's fine."

"Why would you want me?" Jon said."I mean, I am your boss and I know we haven't always... we're not."

"We don't get on, you don't like me and especially not that way."

"I do like you, that's the entire problem," Jon said. It was like the words were being pulled out of him.

"As it is, I find it highly unlikely that I'd be your first choice, even just on this team. I always thought you'd go for someone more...suitable."

Martin didn't like how Jon had said that at all.So Jon had thought that he was too good for Martin as well.At least they had something in common, 

Martin nodded. "Do you know, women were supposed to get gloves if their proposal of marriage was rejected? Then they could hide the shame of not having an engagement ring, I suppose. It's good to have a ready response to deal with rejection. I've never seemed to manage it.Too much of a coward, I guess."

"You're not a coward," Jon said. "Not usually.Why would this be any different?"

Martin opened his mouth to say something, but words wouldn't come.Martin went to make himself a cup of tea instead. He couldn't just walk out into the world with his mind racing. He needed to find his equilibrium. 

He made a cup for Jon on autopilot. It wasn't until he was stirring the sugar he'd poured in that he'd realized what he'd done. There was no sense in wasting it then, 

Jon was back in his office.The door was cracked open. Martin knocked and walked in at the same time. "Thank you," Jon said.Everything was normal. Jon sipped his tea, even though it had to still be too hot. "I thought you'd left."

"Wanted to make sure everything was in order," Martin said.He wanted to smooth everything over, show Jon that he'd already forgotten their little conversation. It hadn't quite been flirting. It would be easy to ignore. Things were back to normal

Then Jon decided to keep talking. "You're not...the best at your job."

"Right," Martin said.There was no point in denying it.

"You're a good person," Jon said. "An attractive..." His mouth snapped shut. "I'm sorry, that's inappropriate, I know you don't want to hear that from me, I shouldn't have said..."

"You've hardly said anything."

"It's still too much," Jon said softly.

"Get dinner with me," Martin blurted out.

"What?" Jon said, his attention snapping to Martin. He stared."Another Leap Day tradition? More tables being turned, institutional power dynamics being upended?" Jon was giving Martin an out that he didn't want.

"You said you'd say yes." Martin said. "You don't have to, of course,"

"I want to," Jon said. If he was lying, Martin couldn't tell and Jon was a terrible liar.

"This conversation is too confusing to be had over tea instead of wine. You should join me for dinner so we can discuss all the reasons we couldn't possibly date."

Jon pressed his lips together, clearly trying to suppress a smile. "That makes perfect sense and couldn't possibly be misconstrued."

Martin nodded. "I can be smart sometimes."

Jon stood, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair."I know a little place nearby you might like. I'd thought..." he trailed off, looking down at his feet, at his desk, everywhere but Martin. "I'd thought about suggesting it to you before, but it could've been misconstrued then."

"But this is different," Martin said. "Clearly not a date." He was too emphatic. Jon's face was falling. "Here let me help you with your lapel." Jon's jacket was fine, but Martin stepped in front of him and adjusted it anyway.

He could easily move just a little closer and kiss Jon. Jon was drifting closer himself.

"Dinner first," Martin heard himself say.

"Right," Jon said in a low voice, Martin closed his eyes and tried not to shudder. He dropped his hands from Jon's lapel as Jon stepped back. "We clearly have a lot to talk about."


End file.
